My Journey to Social Work: Megan Ingle

Each of our amazing board members chose the profession of social work for a reason and we would like to share their stories with you. Stay tuned for a post about each of the social workers who represent YOU on the NASW-NC Board.

When I was in middle school I went to D.C. to visit my cousin, Patty, who was the director for a men’s homeless shelter in the city. I spent a day shadowing Patty while she worked – meeting with people under bridges, in neighborhood parks and all over the city. After the day was finished I remember Patty saying she had chosen her profession because she wanted to do something that made a difference.

I knew from that moment on that I wanted to do the same. At first I wasn’t sure how I would do that – I went through a few majors in college, finally settling on psychology. My senior year I interviewed different people in the mental health field and everyone told me I should pursue social work. At the time I didn’t know much about social work but the more I researched it the more I knew it was the right path for me to follow. So the next year I started my MSW program at East Carolina University. I quickly fell in love with social work and knew I had found the profession where I could make a difference. I have worked in addictions and mental health since I graduated in 2006 and cannot imagine doing any other type of work. I am proud to be a social worker spending my career making a positive impact on the individuals and communities I work with.

I have been a member of NASW since I was in my MSW program. NASW has allowed me to make valuable connections with other social workers, provided me with ethical consultations, reviewed my resumes, given me valuable information on the field of social work and kept me up to date on important legislative issues. I am proud to serve on the board of directors and to advocate for the profession of social work.